


See You Smile

by RegalLove2



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:09:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22727428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RegalLove2/pseuds/RegalLove2
Summary: My LoveFromOQ piece is finally up! Sorry it's so late in the day. I was tweaking it til the last minute. Its un-betaed so I'm sorry for any mistakes! I hope you enjoy @lanaismykhaleesi xoxo
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Comments: 15
Kudos: 29
Collections: Outlaw Queen Valentine’s Gift Exchange 2020





	See You Smile

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lanaismykhaleesi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanaismykhaleesi/gifts).



Love from OQ

To an outsider, the streets of New York on a weekday morning look like chaos. Thousands of people passing by one another, all entranced in their own worlds. The air is filled with a combination of street music mingling with honking horns and screeching tires. The smell of stale rain mixed with coffee, cigarette smoke, and the occasional hint of morning breakfast. Swarms of people in one place and yet, all in their own head at the same time. 

Not many take the time to observe their surroundings amidst the hustle and bustle of their morning commute. Robin does. He’s always been aware of the things going on around him. And while there are certainly a lot of unfamiliar faces in the crowd as he makes the same trek to work each day, there are also many that he sees daily. 

So while he juggles his cup of coffee and the keys to his little shop, he sends a smile toward the old woman that passes by his door at the same time every morning. Even though they’ve never shared a word, seeing her cross his path has become part of his routine. She always gives him a smile of her own. She isn’t the only one that he interacts with like this. Little exchanges, small smiles, a nod of acknowledgement. If he’s learned one thing about living in this city, it’s that you don’t need to know someone personally in order to show them kindness. Perhaps there isn’t enough of it, but he’ll surely do his part.

As soon as the door is closed behind him and the lights are flipped on, he settles down on top of the desk and takes a large sip of his coffee, sighing as his whole body starts to warm. With January comes lower temperatures then he particularly enjoys. This moment-the time he takes every morning to sit and watch people pass by his shop window- it’s necessary for him to decompress and prepare for the day ahead. And today, he’s able to catch a glimpse of _her_ walking by.

She’s later than usual, it seems. Normally, he finds himself with two people between them in line at the coffee shop next door. Occasionally he’ll be walking in as she’s walking out but every workday for the last two and a half months, he’s been in there at the same time as her. It didn’t escape his notice that she wasn’t in there today. But _he_ was late. Just a few minutes. Still, he’d just assumed it was his tardiness to break the pattern. 

Apparently not. 

Hopping off his spot on the counter, he flips the little door sign to read “Open” instead of closed. And, if he happens to see her one for just another second as she disappears behind the glass of his neighbor, he won’t complain. 

He saw her for the first time in November. It’d been raining and she was standing near the door in a desperate attempt to close her umbrella. She was wearing an unzipped raincoat over a sleek black dress. But, what really caught his attention were the rain boots in place of the heels she was holding in her hands. She looked flustered and frustrated and yet adorable at the same time. If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t have had a second thought about offering his help. She, on the other hand, caught him so off guard that he hesitated. By the time he realized that it’d be the perfect time to offer assistance, she’d gotten the unruly umbrella under control. 

As far as he knew, she hadn’t so much as glanced in his direction. Still, she didn’t leave his mind for the rest of the day. The next morning, she was a few places in front of him in line. He spent the majority of his time waiting, staring at the back of her. Rain boots and coat had been replaced with heels, a dark skin-tight skirt, and a light blue blouse expertly tucked in. That day, she did see him. Their eyes locked as she turned from the counter toward the door. She’d smiled, ducked her head slightly, and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, walking past him and out the door. 

Seeing her smile had made his heart flutter in his chest. He spent that day wondering how he could be so taken by a woman that he’d never said a word to. 

He knows it’s unusual. To feel such a strong connection to someone like that. He gets plenty of grief about it from August- his oldest friend and business partner. Every now and then, on the rare occasion that August comes in early, he’ll witness one of their passing interactions. Or rather, non-existent interactions as he calls them. He’s always quick to poke fun, not understanding why Robin hasn’t just made a move yet. 

And truthfully, he doesn’t know what’s stopping him. He wants to talk to her, to hear her say more than a quiet _’Thank you, Ruby’_ each morning. He just can’t figure out how to move forward. All jokes aside, he’s nervous. Right now, she’s a bright spot in his day, something to look forward to each morning and someone who keeps a smile on his face throughout his day. Risking that isn’t something that he has the courage to do. At least not yet. 

So he’ll enjoy the brief moments they share and the small smiles she sends his way for now.

The sound of the bell on the door draws his attention back to reality just in time to see the very man he was just thinking about. “Good morning, mate.”

“Morning.” August quickly rounds the counter and drops his satchel on the shelf behind the counter.” I'm going to head next-door and grab a cup of coffee, do you want anything?” Robin holds up his own cup and shakes his head in answer. “Right. I should've known. How's mystery woman doing these days?”

There's no use in feigning ignorance. He's mentioned her more than a few times so pretending he doesn't know who August is referring to would just result in more teasing. He shrugs his shoulders as nonchalantly as possible and mutters, “By the time she came in, I was already in here. I just saw her in passing.”

“Which is what you do every day.” August gives him a look that he can't quite read. “I've asked 100 times and I will ask again. When are you going to man up and talk to her already?”

“When an opportunity presents itself.” Grabbing a pair of scissors, he busies himself was trimming the ends off of a few rose stems. “And before you argue that I've had plenty, I'm referring to an opportunity that doesn't make me come off looking like a coffee shop stalker.”

The other Man lets out a laugh and mumbles just loud enough for Robin to hear, “You kind of are.”

He can’t help the offended, _Am not!_ that shoots from his mouth but he lets out a little laugh nonetheless. Reaching for the towel next him, he playfully throws it toward his friend. 

After a little bit more laughter on both their parts, August grows a bit more serious. “What is it about her that makes her so special?”

“I don't know.” Hesitating, he runs his fingers along the soft rose petals in his hand. “I think _that’s_ what makes her special. To anyone else she's just another face in the crowd. I pass by hundreds every single day and yet somehow, she stood out. And she _continues_ to stand out. There's just something about the way she carries herself, the way her voice is low and melodic, the small smile she gives Ruby when she's handed her coffee....I just want to see her smile.” Shaking his head, he allows himself to break out of his little trance. He smiles and shrugs his shoulders, “I will talk to her eventually-“

“When the opportunity presents itself.” August finishes with a little roll of his eyes and a light chuckle.

_____________

August isn’t a morning person. Robin likes to get on his case about never coming in early. But there’s only so much you need to do to open a flower shop in the morning. _And,_ he stays a little late each day for the sole purpose of avoiding coming in early. 

Despite the fact that coffee actually does very little to give him energy, he still drinks his fair share each day. It’s convenient, having such an unlimited supply next door. His bank account isn’t particularly fond of The Magic Bean but he only pays for about half of what he actually drinks. Perks of his cousin being the one that pours the coffee. 

There isn’t a line when he walks in, yet another bonus to coming in _after_ the morning rush. When it isn’t too busy, he can stand at the counter and talk to Ruby for a few minutes (even though they see each other nearly every day). It’s usually the same thing. Good mornings are exchanged. A few bills traded for a hot cup of coffee. Another story about how his hopeless friend acted like a child with puppy-dog eyes as he tried- and failed- not to stare at the woman who comes in.

He crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against the countertop, “Let me guess. He didn’t talk to her _again.”_

Ruby simply shakes her head and laughs. “No. She was earlier today, some staff meeting or something. But…” She smiles, “I saw her look back a few times, almost as if she was looking just to make sure she didn’t see him.”

It was back in November, the first time that Robin mentioned her. SInce then, a single day hadn’t gone by without a mention of the mysterious woman. “What do you know about this girl anyway?”

“Her coffee order and her last name.” Shrugging her shoulders, Ruby mimics his stance and leans along the counter. “Her assistent used to pick it up for her. Mills is always extremely polite but Tink was more chatty.”

The first time Robin came into the shop talking about her was in November and now, a week into February, he still hasn’t said so much as a word to her. With each passing day, he’s convinced that Robin will never make a move. A fact that he tells Ruby. 

“The thing is, I think she likes him, too. I wish I could just-“

“No, Ruby. It takes a lot for Robin to get upset and I definitely think that he’d be upset if you said anything to her.” As much as it drives him crazy, the last thing he wants to do is interfere with his friends' love life… or lack thereof.

His cousin lets out a little pout. “What if we found a way to just nudge them into a conversation?”

Despite the fact that he wants absolutely no part in whatever it is that Ruby has up her sleeve, he knows he needs to keep an eye on her. She can be impulsive at times. So he tells her that he has to go to work and they’ll talk about it later, hoping that his cousin will forget all about whatever scheme she’s considering. 

He doesn’t get that lucky. 

_______________

She's used to the chaos that is New York City in the morning. The traffic and the crowds. She always allotts plenty of time so that she doesn't have to rush. And for the last few months, she's been getting up even earlier. There's this little coffee shop that she's come to love. It's only two and a half blocks away from her work and doesn't add any extra time to her commute-except for the time it takes to actually order and get her coffee of course.

She's always been pretty stubborn. So when Tink came into the office ranting and raving about the delicious little café down the street, Regina had to shake her head. She didn't understand the appeal of paying the same amount for one cup of coffee as you would for enough to make 10 of your own. Plus, she liked the solidarity of waking up in your home, having your kitchen filled with the delicious scent, and drinking her morning beverage in peace. But Tink is stubborn too. She just wanted Regina to try it. Just once, she’d plead, and then she would leave her alone. So her preppy blonde assistant showed up with not one, but _two_ cups of coffee one morning.Her name was scribbled out on the side of one of them. _Mills._

As loathed as she was to admit it at the time, it was absolutely delicious. So when she started craving another a few days later, she was forced to ignore the smug grin on her assistant's face as she sent her out after one. It very easily became part of her routine. And she discovered that without it, she just wasn't able to start her day on the right note. 

It was two months before she ever stepped into The Magic Bean herself. Tink was out sick for a week and while she thought she could last a day without her morning dose of Heaven, she knew she could _not_ last a week. So Tink sent her the address and she got up a little earlier than usual just to make sure she'd have time to stop in.

It wasn't until she walked up to the counter that she realized that she didn't even know what to order. It was something strong with just a tad of sweetness. Maybe vanilla? She truly had no idea. Tink knew her better than she knew herself. So she took a chance. A little bit embarrassed, she asked the barista if she happened to know the order for Mills. The woman behind the counter had simply smiled and nodded, chatting with her about Tink while she made her coffee.

It had been nice and while she wasn't particularly fond of adding the time to her morning routine, it wasn't so bad. Tink would only be out for a few days anyway. When her alarm had gone off the next morning she didn't hesitate to get up. After making the trip once, it wouldn't be a problem.

She'd walked in the door at precisely seven forty-six, two minutes earlier than the day before. And when she made it up to the counter, Ruby was quick to ask if the notorious Mills wanted her usual. Regina had simply smiled and nodded her head, rolling her eyes playfully as she stepped aside and waited for her order. 

That was the first time she saw him. She had just been handed her cup of coffee and headed for the door, one hand twisted back into her purse to blindly search for her work badge when her eyes locked on his. He was wearing a small smile, blue eyes looking at her curiously. She was stopped in her tracks for just a second before she recovered, sending a small smile back his way and ducking her head shyly on her way to the door.

Regina Mills has never been shy. 

As soon as she exited the coffee shop that morning, she'd been confused. It was one glance. One smile. Yet somehow, she could feel the blush creeping on her cheeks as she thought about it during their morning meeting. Mal could immediately tell that something was different and she had a hell of a way of bothering her about it. Regina was able to brush it off as nothing but, quite frankly, she was embarrassed. He was just some guy in a coffee shop-someone she knew nothing about. It didn't matter that he had bright blue eyes and such a mesmerizing smile. She should not have been thinking as much about him as she had been.

The next morning, she saw him again. He was a few spots behind her in-line and when she turned around, her eyes couldn't help but find his. All she did was reciprocate the smile he sent her way and keep walking toward the door. 

For the second day in a row, her thoughts were filled with the handsome stranger from the coffee shop. 

The next few days we're pretty similar to the rest. She couldn't help but notice him each morning. So when Tink came back the following week, she quickly took _morning coffee run_ off of her to-do list. The Blonde had assumed that Regina enjoyed going simply because of the friendly demeanor of the barista, joking about how Ruby had been the reason Tink kept coming in (well, that and the coffee). While she did like Ruby, Tink was completely off-base. Regina had agreed anyway, telling her assistant that she just liked the ambience and was fine going on her own. 

Truthfully though, it was the handsome man in line that kept her coming back. They hadn’t ever spoken but her eyes always searched for him when she walked in and when she left.

Needless to say, she's been getting her own coffee for nearly 3 months now.

When she walks into work, she passes right by her office, going in the direction of her friends instead. “Morning, Mal.” She sighs when she drops into the chair across from the desk that Mal is currently occupying.

The other woman doesn't look up, just slides her glasses down her nose a tad and continues typing. “Someone got their daily dose of the sexy coffee shop guy this morning, huh?” Regina let’s out a little huff of annoyance and Mal finally looks up. “Don't pretend like you have no idea what I'm talking about. Our staff meeting had you coming in earlier yesterday. You _must've_ missed him. And you were cranky all day.”

Mal isn't wrong. They work on a design team that's partnered with a science lab. They had to pitch a new product to the board yesterday morning and their boss had called in an emergency staff meeting at 7:30 to ensure that everything was prepared for said pitch. To say that she had been frustrated would have been an understatement. And it caused her to miss her daily interaction with the guy in the coffee shop. So her day hadn’t started on a great note, no. But today it had. And she's passed the point of denying that he has any effect on her day. “I did.”

“It wasn’t a question, dear. It was a observation.” Looking back down at her computer, Mal continues. “So is your good mood a result of you actually talking to him today? Or has missing him one day made you even more weak in the knees at the sight of him?”

“Sometimes I wonder why I even talk to you.”

She’s completely unaffected by the eye-roll that Regina sends her. “Because I say what you’re already thinking out loud and force you to confront it.”

She does. Sometimes too often for Regina’s liking. Truthfully, she’s never been great at admitting how she feels. Even to herself. Mal doesn’t share the same reservations.

Going a day without seeing him really did make her realize just how much she enjoys those few minutes each morning. She’s a creature of habit, she loves her routine. 

And she’s quickly discovering just how much he’s become a part of her routine. 

_________

The first two weeks of February are always the busiest, they own a flower shop after all. He’s had to come in early and stay late each day just to stay on top of the number of orders that are coming in. Not that he’s complaining. Valentines and Mother's day single-handedly bring in enough profit to pay the stores bills for the rest of the year. But when he’s in the midst of trying to fulfill the swarm of orders, he doesn’t feel so thankful. August has been a trooper, coming in early to help him with as much as possible and manning the front desk the majority of the mornings. It tends to slow down a little during the day while people are in work. Still, to say he’s stressed doesn’t even begin to cover it. He’s pricked himself with too many pesky little thorns today to even count and he’s got a headache brewing in the back of his temple by the time he’s closing up shop for the day. 

Valentine's day is hard enough when you’re alone. Add owning a flower shop to the mix and it only makes things harder. Especially for him. He’s always been a bit of a hopeless romantic. And while he loves seeing all of the notes and flower orders coming in to be sent out to someone who is loved, he also feels a little envious. The holiday is just a reminder that he doesn’t have someone to go home to. 

He wonders about the girl from the coffee shop and for the thousandth time, he finds himself wondering if she has someone. She doesn’t wear a ring, he’s noticed that much. But her not being in some kind of relationship? Now that’s hard to believe. Again, he kicks himself for not having talked to her already. She’s been on his mind for months and he doesn’t even know if she’s interested, much less available. As if he hadn’t already spent too much of his time thinking about it, he can’t help but wonder even more as the holiday of love approaches.

_________

She’s typing away vigorously at her computer, trying desperately to ignore all the chatter outside her office door. Someone thought it’d be cute to decorate the entire floor with pink and red streamers. Co-workers are proudly showing off gifts from their loved ones, leaving them for display on their desks like trophies. The break room table is covered with chocolates and a large vase of flowers. 

Perhaps she’s just a tad bitter.

She hates Valentine's day. It always seems so over the top. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t have someone to share it with. Maybe it’s because she’s now gone two days in a row without seeing the blue eyes of the man that she kinda wants to share it with. She doesn’t know. But the one thing she does know is that right now, she hates Valentine’s day.

So she has one goal today- to get through it and go home. She’s got plans alright. She’s going to heat up some left-over chicken from the night before for dinner (maybe make it into a salad). And then she’s going to take a nice long bath and drink as much wine as it takes for her to forget that yet another year has gone by with her alone.

Regina forces herself to focus, to ignore everything outside of the four walls that make up her office. And she does a good job of it. She stays in there for lunch, choosing to avoid the inevitable chatter of dinner plans and romantic evenings that’s bound to happen in the break room. And then she keeps working and more importantly, she keeps ignoring. 

She’s so invested in said work that a knock on her door actually makes her jump in her chair. She’s relieved to see that it’s Tink who pushes it open. The blonde has a massive grin on her face when she tells her boss that there is something at the front desk for her and she needs to sign for it. If her eyebrows could shoot up and furrow simultaneously, she’s sure they would. She’s not expecting any deliveries and the look on her assistants face has her feeling like she was left out of a joke. 

Deciding not to jump to conclusions just yet, she slides her chair out and follows the blonde from her office. She’s met with a delivery man holding a long, slender silver box. Checking the paper the man hands her to sign she confirms that it is addressed to her, though it simply says, _Mills._ She wordlessly signs the dotted line and watches the man disappear. Tink’s cheshire grin doesn’t escape her notice. 

Grabbing the box, she walks back to her office and shuts the door behind her. She’s barely made it to her desk before Tink comes walking through the door. “Can I help you?”

Tink plops in the seat across from her and smiles. “Just open it! I know you’re curious.”

Regina rolls her eyes and slowly pulls the ribbon of the bow so that she can lift the top off of the box. Her mouth falls open when she catches sight of a mini bouquet of red roses. There are three of them twined together with some little white flowers. They’re laying perfectly on a bed of silver tissue paper. “They’re beautiful.” Gently pulling them out of the box, she twirls them in her hand. “Who would send me flowers?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Tink’s smile falls a little. “You really don’t know?”

Shaking her head, she sighs. “Not a clue.” Then her eyes drift to a little envelope laying on the tissue paper inside the box. Setting the roses down, on the desk, she reaches for it, quickly pulling it open. Written on the card isn’t a name, it’s a sentence, seven simple words. _I just want to see you smile._

And she does. 

Wider than she has in a long time. She flips the thing a few times just to make sure that she didn’t miss a name. There isn’t one. 

She can see Tink sit up straighter at the sight of her smile. “What does the card say?” she tries to play it off as if it isn’t as big of a deal as it is when she hands the card over to Tink. But she can’t really. Especially when her assistant swoons over the card, too. “You have no idea who would send you something like this?”

Regina shrugs, fingers going back to run along the petals of the roses in front of her as Tink sets the card back in the box. “They didn’t leave their name. There’s no way to know.” And for a moment, she’s incredibly disappointed and embarrassed. She can’t think of a single person that would’ve sent her something like this. Is it some kind of joke? As much as it’s a possibility, she has this feeling that the words are genuine. Suddenly, she really, _really_ wants to know who was behind this. Tink mutters something about it being a romantic mystery but Regina ignores her and reaches for the card again. On the back of the envelope, she finds a little logo with a store name on it. She reads it out loud when she does. “Sherwoods Flowers.”

Tink’s entire face lights up again. “You should go in there and ask.”

“What?” Her eyes move up to meet her assistant's green ones. “You think I should go into a flower shop on valentines day and ask who sent me flowers when they clearly wanted to remain anonymous?”

“You can at least try.”

“What if it was a mistake? The paper just said ‘Mills,’ not _Regina Mills._ They might not even be for me.” Sighing, she runs her hand through her hair. That could be embarrassing. 

“It had the name of our building on it, too. And, it was addressed to your last name which is the only thing people call you in this office. They’re for you Regina, the question is, who sent them?”

“You don’t think it could’ve been someone from work, do you?” That is the last thing she wants.

“Only one way to find out.” Tink smiles again, motioning to the envelope. “I’ll do it if you're that scared. I’ll pretend to be you and I’ll ask.”

“Absolutely not.” She glances back down at the card and sighs. “I’ll think about it. Now go back to work.”

She does think about it. As a matter of fact, she can’t stop thinking about it. Against her better judgement, she types in the name of the flower shop into her computer and waits for the information to pop up on her screen. She recognizes the little store immediately- she knew it sounded familiar. _Sherwood Flowers._ It’s right next door to The Magic Bean. She passes by it every single day though she’s never been particularly observant. 

She hasn’t decided whether or not she’s going to go. Or at least she thought she hadn’t. She was weighing her options, inwardly debating as she got off the elevator at work and headed for the door. Her mind hadn’t come to a decision yet but apparently her body did. Before she knew it, she was on her way in that direction. 

When she walked in, she was taken aback by how clean and homey it all felt. And the smell of different flowers mingled together perfectly to create a pleasant aroma in the air. 

Walking up to the counter, she greeted the man with a small smile. When he asked her how he could help her, she couldn’t help but feel like he knew something she didn’t. Pushing the feeling aside, she placed the box she received earlier in the day on top of the counter. “This was delivered to my office today and there’s no name on the card. I think it might be a mistake and if it isn’t, I would like to know who sent it please.”

“Let me grab the owner for you, he’ll be able to help.” With that, he opened the door behind the register and disappeared.  
________________

Four days out from Valentines, the number of orders coming in daily had increased exponentially. Not to mention the sheer number of orders they received the day before. They had to start turning people away, there just wasn’t any time to complete all of the orders coming in. He swears, he’s never been more busy. So much so that he was at work extra early each day and lost track of time two days in a row, missing her at the coffee shop next door. 

So on the fourteenth, not only was he swamped, lonely, and exhausted, he was defeated. Because he didn’t even get to see her. Now he’s got to wait the full weekend to see her smile again. 

The afternoon comes with a new swarm of last minute pick-ups in preparation for date night. Men continue to run into the store with grocery store bags carrying boxes of chocolates and teddy bears.

He’s been tied up in the back for the last two hours, leaving August to cover the front as he tries to use whatever few roses they have left in stock to make single boxes for anyone else who desperately wanders in. It’s then that August walks back and tells him that a customer needs his help. 

Setting down the box he was working on, he grabs a towel to wipe his hands as he walks through the door and out into the front of the store. “How can I-” The moment he looks up from said towel, his eyes meet _hers._ He stops in his tracks and stares for just a second, not able to avoid the smile nor the shock on his face. Clearing his throat, he continues his steps until he's standing at the counter directly in front of her. “How can I help you?”

She looks a little surprised too. It’s clear that she recognizes him at least but she doesn’t say anything about it. Ducking her head slightly, she motions to the box and asks, “I’d like to know who sent these, please. I think there may have been a mistake.”

“Sure, let me check to see what we have on file.” Dropping the towel on the counter, he moves a few steps to the right and pulls out a binder from below the shelf. “What’s your name?”

“Regina.” 

“Nice to meet you, Regina.” He smiles. He’s been curious about that for months and it feels good to finally get at least one answer. “Your last name?”

“Oh, right.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Mills. It was delivered under just Mills.”

“Alright.” He flips through the pages until he reaches the _m’s_ and then draws his finger along the names. “I see an order for you but no sender name. May I see the card?” She nods, pulling the little envelope out of her purse and handing it over to him. When he pulls out the little card, his eyebrows scrunch in confusion. He said those words numerous times when talking about her. He must not be the only one who feels that way. “Hm. Let me check in our card box and see if I can find anything.”

“Thank you.”

He pulls out the little file box that they use for cards and shuffles through them until he finds hers. When he pulls it out, his mouth falls open. Attached to the slip where people write what message they want on the card and the name of the recipient, is a sticky note. Written on the paper it says, _“You said you want to see her smile. Maybe asking her out will do it, now’s your chance.”_

He’s going to kill them. He knows Ruby’s handwriting well, has seen it scrawled on his coffee cup too many times to count. And she couldn’t have done it alone. 

___________

Regina’s mouth nearly falls open in surprise when she sees him. And when she hears his voice for the first time, she suddenly feels light headed. As if he wasn’t attractive enough, he’s _English?_

She thinks she managed not to let herself look like a total idiot by the time she asks him to check his records. He’s friendly and his dimples show through when he tells her that it’s nice to meet her. She want’s to ask his name but she doesn’t really have a reason to. Regina is distracted by these thoughts as he searches for the information she’s looking for. She can see the way his whole face changes the moment he reads whatever is on the little index card he pulled out. And now she’s even more curious. “What’s wrong?”

His eyes move up to meet hers again and for the tenth time since he’s walked out here, she nearly melts at the sight this close. He looks around nervously, hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck. It’s clear that he’s trying to figure out what to say and what comes out of his mouth has her tilting her head in confusion. 

“It seems as though a couple of my friends have decided to play matchmaker.” The chuckle he lets out is slightly embarrassed.

She’s lost. “I don’t follow.”

His hands come down to fiddle with a piece of paper on the counter. “I’m not sure if you remember me from-”

“Next door?” She can’t help the flirty smile that appears on her face when she finishes his sentence. “You’re the guy who smiles at me every morning. Kind of hard to forget.”

He seems to relax a little at that, letting out a little laugh. “I’m Robin.”

 _Robin._ She was curious and it’s fitting. “Nice to officially meet you.”

“You too, _Regina.”_ The way he says her name has butterflies popping up in her stomach but she does her best to push them down as he continues to talk. “Can I be completely candid with you for a minute?” 

Her head tilts slightly, looking in his eyes as she nods her head. 

“I’ve had a bit of a…” He pauses. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you for months.” He looks away from her as he speaks, missing her smile at his admission. She knows he’s not finished yet so, she waits. “And I suppose that our dear friend Ruby has gotten tired of watching me pass up the opportunity to do so every morning. I’m guessing this was her trying to give me a nudge. I’m sorry.”

She starts to connect the dots. “Ruby sent me the flowers?” Her smile falters a little at that, she can’t help it.

“With the help of August, I’m assuming.” His thumb points over his shoulder and toward the back, silently telling her that August must be the man she spoke to a bit ago.

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry.” 

She shakes her head. “You don’t need to apologize for not sending me flowers. It’s a bit embarrassing-”

“Well, for what it’s worth… If I knew your name before today, if I’d had enough courage to talk to you before today, I would have sent you flowers.” He smiles.

“Why didn’t you?” She pauses, realizing that she should clarify. “I mean, why didn’t you talk to me?”

He shrugs. “I was worried you wouldn’t be interested and I figured you probably had someone waiting for you at home-”

“I don’t.” She interrupts. “And for what it’s worth…” She mimics his wording, “I wanted to talk to you, too.”

The smile he gives her is big and bright. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

“Mm.” Biting her lip, she looks away. “What did the card say? The one you pulled out… Your whole face changed when you read it.”

His hand reaches down back under the counter to grab the piece of paper that he hid away and he hands it over. She can see how he watches her as she takes the paper and reads it. Her smile is immediate when she does, grin giving way to a laugh. 

“There it is.”

Her eyes shoot up to meet his again, blush creeping onto her cheeks. “You really said that you wanted to make me smile?”

“I did.” His hand moves back to his neck again to rub nervously. “Granted, I was saying that to a friend, I didn’t think you’d ever know-”

Placing a hand on top of his on the counter, she smiles, “You accomplished your mission, thank you.”

He grins, looking down at her hand on top of his. “And I haven’t even asked you out yet.”

Her eyebrows raise slightly “Yet?”

Leaning forward with elbows on the counter, he bites his lip. “Will you have dinner with me, Regina?”

Obviously. The man that she hasn’t stopped thinking about for the last three and a half months is standing right in front of her asking her to dinner. This was not how she expected her day to go. The way he bites his lip makes her want to lean forward and kiss him. “Tonight?”

He shrugs. “Do you have any plans?”

“Apparently I do now.”

She can’t help but mirror the grin he gives her. 

August must’ve snuck out the back at some point so, he flipped the “Open” sign to closed and grabbed his coat. On such a popular holiday, there aren’t many open seats at restaurants. They end up ordering chinese and buying a bottle of wine from the grocery store down the street before going back to his flower shop. He sets up the little table in the back as best as he can while she watches him with amusement. “You don’t have to go to so much trouble.”

“It’s nothing.” Pulling out one of the two charis at the table, he motions for her to come sit down, adding a little bow for dramatic effect. 

She laughs and takes her seat, letting him push her chair in. After he serves them their dinner and a glass of wine each, they spend the following two hours talking. He listens intently to everything she says and when their food is long gone and her third glass of wine is dwindling, she can’t help but notice each time he drops his gaze to her lips. The attraction is definitely mutual though, she thinks she’s better at hiding it. 

It’s nearly nine o’clock when she finally stands up and stretches out a little. It’s later than she expected and she really was enjoying herself. But three glasses of wine on a first date isn’t usually the best idea. “I should really get going.” Her face feels warm, a combination of the alcohol and the consistent he keeps bringing out of her. It’s cold outside and she’s still got five blocks to walk home. “Thank you for tonight, it’s not what I expected when I walked in here today.”

“Sometimes the best things happen when you least expect them.” 

She can’t help but roll her eyes playfully. “Is that a line or are you really _that_ cheesy.” 

He’d admitted to being a romantic over dinner and she can see it, that’s for sure. “Both.” He shrugs. Reaching for her coat, Regina lets out a little laugh and shakes her head. “Let me.” His fingers ghost over hers as he pulls the garment from her hands and holds it out for her to put it on.

“Thank you.”

He simply smiles, both hands going into his pockets. “Can I walk you home? Or at least toward home? You don’t know me very well yet so I’d understand if your wary but I’m not-”

“Sure.” She may not know him that well but, they did spend the last four hours talking and she can’t help but trust him. So, she waits for him to put on his own coat and turn out the lights. She can feel his hand on the small of her back as he guides her out of the door and they begin their walk. They continue to talk and the way his arm keeps bumping against hers makes it obvious that he wants to be closer, he’s just giving her the space. It makes her smile for the upteenth thime this evening. Moving her hand to briefly wrap around his arm, she gives it a gentle squeeze and slides her fingers down until they can lock with his. His grip tightens on hers very briefly, pulling her closer until her head can rest on his shoulder as they walk. When they end up on the steps outside of her building, she finds that she doesn’t want to say goodbye.

She’s pulled from her thoughts when he speaks up again. “I hope this isn’t too forward of me but,” They come to a stop and his free hand reaches for hers as they turn to face each other. “I really like you, Regina.” He takes a single step closer and she can see the fog his breath makes with every word he utters. “I’ve been wanting this since the first time I saw you. I wanted to get to know you, to be close to you.” One step closer. “So thank you for tonight. For allowing me to do those things.”

“I.. I like you too, Robin. I did before today but this,” She motions between them, “Tonight, it was even better than I imagined it to be. Thank _you._ For wanting to make me smile, for dinner, walking me home, and everything in between.” The air grows thick between them when he smiles and their eyes lock again, both letting out deep breaths of air. “You um.. You said you wanted to be close to me. Is this what you meant?”

She can _feel_ his chuckle on her cheek. “I think you know the answer to that.” His eyes cast downward again, breaking eye contact as he briefly looks at her lips.

“What are you waiting for, then?”

HIs eyes immediately lock back onto hers, searching and shining all at once. “Permission.”

Her fingers pull away from where they’re still entwined with his, hands moving up his arms until she can rest them over the coat on his chest. “I think I just gave it to you.”

Apparently he doesn’t need to be told again. She sees a flash of a grin before she closes her eye just in time to feel his lips press softly against her own. It’s a first kiss, innocent and careful. And while she enjoyed it, it isn’t what she wants. She wants more. So her arms move up to wrap around his shoulders and she pulls him closer, tilting her head and kissing him just a tad harder until he gets the message. 

He does, letting out a little groan as he pushes her gently back against the wall and returns the kiss fully this time. When they finally do pull apart, his forehead falls against her own and their heavy breaths mingle in the air together. He immediately asks, “When can I see you again?”

She chuckles and kisses him one more time. “Coffee tomorrow morning?”

They both laugh.

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wanted this to be much longer but I had to cut two full ideas out because of time:( I’ve been SO busy but I wanted to make sure I had something to post for you. I hope this is enough and you enjoyed it. And I hope anyone else who reads it enjoys it, too! Happy Valentine’s Day loves♥️♥️♥️♥️


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